Pallet prop

ABSTRACT

A spacing block assembly including an integral spring clip portion overlying a spacer portion of the assembly and designed to be utilized in proping up one side marginal edge portion of a pallet with the spring clip portion clampingly engaged with an elongated structural member of the pallet extending along the one side thereof to be blocked or spaced above the support surface upon which the remote side of the pallet rests. The form of the spacing block specifically illustrated in the drawing includes a resilient strap member bent into S-shaped form so as to include three vertically spaced generally parallel flange portions and a spacer block is frictionally gripped and retained between the lowermost flange portion and the intermediate flange portion while a clamp throat or opening is defined between the intermediate flange portion and the uppermost flange portion for receiving an elongated side structural member of a pallet therein with the structural member frictionally gripped between the intermediate flange portion and the upper flange portion.

United States Patent Steele, Jr. et al.

[151 3,685,460 1 Aug. 22, 1972 PALLET PROP [72] Inventors: Vincent J.Steele, Jr., 1809 Fieldcrest; John K. Steele, 2000 Sunset Dr., both ofOwensboro, Ky. 42301 [22] Filed: July 8, 1970 [21] Appl. No.2 53,254

Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay

Assistant Examiner-Glenn O. Finch Att0rney--Clarence A. OBrien andHarvey B. Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT A spacing block assembly including anintegral spring clip portion overlying a spacer portion of the assemblyand designed to be utilized in proping up one side marginal edge portionof a pallet with the spring clip portion clampingly engaged with anelongated structural member of the pallet extending along the one sidethereof to be blocked or spaced above the support surface upon which theremote side of the pallet rests. The form of the spacing blockspecifically illustrated in the drawing includes a resilient strapmember bent into S-shaped form so as to include three vertically spacedgenerally parallel flange portions and a spacer block is frictionallygripped and retained between the lowermost flange portion and theintermediate flange portion while a clamp throat or opening is definedbetween the intermediate flange portion and the uppermost flange portionfor receiving an elongated side structural member of a pallet thereinwith the structural member frictionally gripped between the intermediateflange portion and the upper flange portion.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED M1822 I972 {Y fi Vincent J. Steele,r.

23 John K. Steele INI'LXTORS m. WM

PALLET PROP The pallet prop of the instant invention is designed to beattached to the base of a pallet by an integral spring clamp portion ofthe pallet prop. When a pallet is placed in a carrier for transport, thecargo loaded thereon to any appreciable height will have a tendency tosway during transit of the transport. By utilizing the spacing block orpallet prop and placing the spacer portion of the prop beneath the edgeportion of a pallet remote from a wall of the transport, any loadsupported on the pallet is leaned against the wall of a transport and istherefore stabilized against swaying and falling while the transport isin transit. Inthis manner, a safer and more stable cargo may betransported with minimized or completely eliminated breakage of palletsupported loads within the transport. In addition, the pallet props areconstructed in a manner whereby the integral spring clamp portionthereof may be utilized in.

suspending or supporting the props from a suitable elevated structuralmember of the transport or specific hanger provided therefor in thetransport when the props are not in use.

The main object of this invention is to provide a spacing block or propfor use in conjunction with pallets and which is readily engageable anddisengageable from conventional pallet constructions.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediatepreceding object, is to provide a spacing block or prop for use withpallets which may be readily stored when not in use.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein isto provide a spacing block assembly or pallet block in accordance withthe preceding objects and which will conform to conventional forms of 5transport with a loaded pallet disposed in the transport and spacingblocks being utilized to space one marginal edge portion of the palletabove the floor of the transport in order that the portion of the loadsupported from the opposite marginal edge portion of the pallet may beleaned against an adjacent wall of the transport;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the pallet p p FIG. 3 is avertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated bysection line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the pallet illustrated in FIG. 1 withoutthe load supported thereon; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view takensubstantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of FIG.4.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10generally designates any conventional transport vehicle including afloor 12 and an upstanding wall 14 projecting upwardly from one marginaledge portion of the floor 12. A pallet generally referred to by thereference numeral 16 is disposed within the transport 10 and has aplurality of stacks of load containers 18 disposed thereon. The pallet16 includes three transversely spaced longitudinal members 20, 22 and 24and upper and lower pairs of longitudinally spaced transverselyextending members 26.

As may be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings thetransverse members 26 are evenly spaced longitudinally of the pallet 16and the longitudinal members 20, 22 and 24 are sandwiched between theupper and lower sets of transverse members 26. Further, the transversemembers 26 may be secured to the upper and lower surfaces of thelongitudinal members 20, 22 and 24 in any convenient manner and thus thepallet 16 may be considered as conventional in design.

The pallet prop of the instant invention is referred to in general bythe reference numeral 28 and includes a strap 30 of stifi butresilient/material bent into S-shaped form so as to define threevertically spaced generally horizontal flanges 32, 34 and 36 withcorresponding ends of the flanges 32 and 34 joined by means of anintegral vertical strap portion 38 and corresponding oppositeends of theflanges 34 and 36 joined by means of a second integral vertical flange40.

The ends of the flanges 32 and 34 remote from the vertical flangeportion 38 are slightly convergent and the free end portion of theflange 32 is curved upwardly as at 42 whereby a clamp throat or recess44 is defined between the flanges 32 and 34. In addition, a secondrecess 46 is defined between the flanges 34 and 36 and a wood spacerblock 48 is snugly received in the recess 46 between the flanges 34 and36. In addition, the flanges 34 and 36 each include triangular tongueportions 50 struck therefrom and deflected inwardly of the recess 46 attheir free ends so that their free ends are embedded in the block 48after insertion of the latter within the recess 46 whereby removal ofthe block 48 from the recess 46 is prevented without first spreading theflanges 34 and 36 apart from the ends thereof remote from the verticalflange portion 40.

From FIGS. 4 and 5 of the drawings it may be seen that the lowertransverse member 26 extending along the marginal edge portion of thepallet 16 remote from the walls 14 has a pair of a pallet props engagedtherewith with longitudinally spaced portions of that transverse member26 clampingly engaged between the flanges 30 and 34 of the correspondingpallet props 28. Accordingly, the marginal edge portion of the pallet 16remote from the wall 14 is elevated above the floor 12 with the resultthat the pallet 16 is inclined toward the wall 14 thus also incliningthe stacks of containers 18 toward the wall 14 for engagement with thelatter as at 54. The engagement of the containers 18 with the wall 14 atthe upper end of the stack of containers remote from the prop 28 as wellas the inherent frictional engagement of adjacent containers 18 servesto stabilize the load of containers 18 on the pallet prop 16 and mostcertainly tends to prevent swaying of the load on the pallet 16 definedby the stack of containers 18.

Although the pallet prop 28 has been illustrated and described herein asbeing constructed of the. strap 30 and the block 48, it is to be notedthat the pallet prop 28 could assume other forms. The strap 30 may beconstructed of metal or suitable plastic and the block 48 may be of woodor constructed of plastic. In addi- 7 .tion, the entire prop, 28 may beconstructed of suitable A plastic with that portion of such an allplastic prop correspondingto the block 48 and also the flanges-34,36 and40 being constructed of one single piece of plastic. in such anembodiment, the portions of such an all well as the block 48 could beinthefor m of a rectangular tubing member including internal bracing andthe flanges 32 and 38 could be formed as integral'portions of such aone-piece tubing member, whereby the entire pallet prop 'could' beconstructed 'of plastic and very economically produced by moldingprocesses.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changesfwillreadily occur to those 7 extending toward the opposite marginal edgeportion of the-spacing block portion and overlying the upper surface ofthe lower spacing blockdefining portion in' spaced relation relativethereto, the first and second skilled in the art, it is not desired tolimit the invention carried by portions of the transverse member of saidpallet 'at one end thereof intermediate adjacent longitudinal members ofsaid pallet, said spacing block assemblies each including a lowerspacing block defining portionand an upper horizontally opening springclip portion defined by a first flange projecting upwardly from onemarginal edge portion of the spacing block definflanges beingconstructed of stiff but resilient material and defining, in combinationwithjthe upper surface of openingith'r'oat recess in which said portionsof said transverse member at one end of said pallet. are clampinglyengaged with the lowerspacing block defining portions of said spacingblock assemblies underlying saidportions of the last' mentionedtransverse member so as to space the latter above, and thus tilt thepalletrelative to, a horizontal surface upon whichthe pallet isdisposed, said spacing block assemblies each including a one-piece strapmember constructed of stiff resilient material, said strap member beingbent in S- shape .forrn so as to define three vertically spacedgenerallyhorizontal flange portions with the upper and intermediate flangeportions interconnected at one corresponding pair of edge portionsthereof by means of a first upstanding integral flange. portionextending therebetween and the remote marginal edge portions of V theintermediate and lowermost flange portions interconnected by means of asecond integral vertical flange portion extending therebetween, and arigid spacing intermediate and the lowermost flange portion and said ingportion and terminating at its upper end in a horizontally directedsecond flange, said second flange rigid block defining said lowerspacing block portion of said assembly, said first and second flangescomprising said first flange portion and'the said upper flangeportion,respectively.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the free edge I I portion of thesecond flange is curved upwardly andthe free end portion of the secondflange'converges slightly toward the upper surface of the lower spacingblock defining portion.

1. In combination with a generally horizontal load pallet of the typeincluding horizontal, laterally spaced longitudinal membersinterconnected by upper and lower set of horizontal, longitudinallyspaced and transversely extending transverse members overlying andunderlying said longitudinal members and rigidly secured to the latter,a pair of spacing block assemblies carried by portions of the transversemember of said pallet at one end thereof intermediate adjacentlongitudinal members of said pallet, said spacing block assemblies eachincluding a lower spacing block defining portion and an upperhorizontally opening spring clip portion defined by a first flangeprojecting upwardly from one marginal edge portion of the spacing blockdefining portion and terminating at its upper end in a horizontallydirected second flange, said second flange extending toward the oppositemarginal edge portion of the spacing block portion and overlying theupper surface of the lower spacing block defining portion in spacedrelation relative thereto, the first and second flanges beingconstructed of stiff but resilient material and defining, in combinationwith the upper surface of the lower spacing block defining portion, ahorizontally opening throat recess in which said portions of saidtransverse member at one end of said pallet are clampingly engaged withthe lower spacing block defining portions of said spacing blockassemblies underlying said portions of the last mentioned transversemember so as to space the latter above, and thus tilt the palletrelative to, a horizontal surface upon which the pallet is disposed,said spacing block assemblies each including a onepiece strap memberconstructed of stiff resilient material, said strap member being bent inS-shape form so as to define three vertically spaced generallyhorizontal flange portions with the upper and intermediate flangeportions interconnected at one corresponding pair of edge portionsthereof by means of a first upstanding integral flange portion extendingtherebetween and the remote marginal edge portions of the intermediateand lowermost flange portions interconnected by means of a secondintegral vertical flange portion extending therebetween, and a rigidspacing block clampingly engaged between said intermediate flangeportion and said lowermost flange portion, said intermediate and thelowermost flange portion and said rigid block defining said lowerspacing block porTion of said assembly, said first and second flangescomprising said first flange portion and the said upper flange portion,respectively.
 2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the free edgeportion of the second flange is curved upwardly and the free end portionof the second flange converges slightly toward the upper surface of thelower spacing block defining portion.